Dr Prosper Chukwuka, former ‘Eze Ndigbo’ of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State and now the ‘Eze Igbo Gburugburu’, has repudiated the negative interpretations being given a recent viral video on the internet where he appeared to be dispensing justice to an alleged Yoruba offender as well as other non-Igbo accused of diverse crimes.
The viral clip generated heavy ethnic backlash, with those up in arms wondering why an Igbo traditional ruler would be sitting in judgement over Yoruba natives in Lagos, a state in the Yoruba-dominated South West.
In an exclusive interview with Saturday Tribune, Chukwuka said he was crowned Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu by all Igbos worldwide without any objection from any quarters. The ‘monarch’ tried to set the record straight about his activities while also denying having an illegal detention facility in his house as being speculated in certain quarters. He also flaunted his reported strong working relationship with the police and other security agencies in the state.
‘I’m king of Igbo worldwide’
The ‘monarch’, while speaking with our correspondent, claimed that his title “Eze Igbo Gburugburu” places him above other Igbo monarchs, even Ezes and Obis in the eastern axis of Nigeria, insisting that he is now the sole occupier of the Igbo apex leadership position vacated by the late warlord and Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
‘Eze’ Chukwuka said: “For the first time, before I was made the Eze Igbo Gburugburu Worldwide, I had about seven different titles from my village in Awka in Anambra State. Then I was the Eze Igbo in the whole of Amuwo Odofin Local Government. When they saw the good work I was doing for humanity, the whole of Igbo in the whole world elevated me to king of Igbo worldwide, that is, Eze Igbo Gburugburu Worldwide in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.”
‘I’m superior to Ezes, Obis’
While reacting to whether Obis and Ezes in the southeastern part of the country are also his subjects, considering his claim that he is father to the entire Igbo race, ‘Eze Gburugburu’ had no hesitation: “Of course, they are my subjects, because I am the one who represents General Odumegwu Ojukwu now.”
Speaking on his new title and his relationship with Obis and Ezes in the eastern part of the country, he noted that, “My title is different and higher than their own. One of them called me today. He said, ‘I know that your office is bigger than my own’. I asked him, ‘How did you know?’ He said he knew the meaning of Eze Igbo Gburugburu.
“If an Eze is crowned in a particular town or local government, he is recognised only in that community or local government but Eze Igbo Gburugburu is worldwide. He is highly recognised in the whole world. So, my office and their office are not the same; my own is higher than their own.”
On his relationship with traditional rulers of other tribes in his locality, he said, “I have a cordial relationship with them. I have a strong relationship with many of them. I have a very close relationship with some of them, including the Oniba of Iba Kingdom. He is my very good friend, and the Oba of Amuwo Odofin. I am close to the Ooni of Ife, too. We are very close, just like many Obas, too.”
Avoiding culture clash
Speaking on how he avoids potential clash of cultures, interests and jurisdictions with traditional rulers of other tribes, especially the Yoruba obas around him, he said, “My office is a different office entirely and because of that, I work differently.
“I just reside in Lagos. Eze Igbo Gburugburu means the king of Igbo in the whole world. This year, I’m going to do my Ofala Festival, my first Ofala in Lagos. Next year, I will do my second Ofala in Anambra State, Awka, to be precise. I will do my third Ofala Festival abroad. So, I have the right and the jurisdiction to have a palace in any part of the world. As Eze Igbo Gburugburu, I have my roles and my work. My role and my work and their own are not the same.”
The video controversy
As regards the viral video in which he was seen dispensing justice to an indigene of Lagos State in his palace, ‘Eze Gburugburu’ said, “I didn’t arrest him for any crime. The person in the video was somebody that I facilitated his release from prison custody.
“I facilitated the release of about eight of them on the 29th day of January, 2025. That was last month. They were incarcerated for one offence or another. They were all in prison for minor offences.
“The boy in the video had been in prison for more than one year. So, being that I have affiliation with the Lagos State government; I used to work with government, police and other security agents, I had to go and facilitate their release from prison.”
He added, “I will facilitate the release of 14 more people from prison by Friday this week, Valentine’s Day.”
Detention facility story
On the allegations on social media that he operates an illegal detention facility in his house where he detains not just Igbo offenders but people from other tribes, the monarch wondered why he would run such a facility when he is trying to help government decongest correctional centres.
“How would I have illegal prisons in my house? This is a palace, not a police station or a prison. Even when I facilitate the release of inmates from prison, I take them to Festac Police Station and make entry so that the DPO would know that I have facilitated somebody’s release from prison. I would then bring them to my palace and give them food, clothes, money and jobs. They would now go and start their life afresh.
“Before I would do all these things, being a law-abiding citizen, I must go to Festac Police Station and make a proper entry immediately I bring them out of prison. I must complete that process before I bring them to my palace. So, the allegation is a fake story,” he claimed.
‘I operate beyond Lagos’
He stated that his activities are not limited to Lagos. According to him, “After I decongest some prisons in Lagos, I will go to Anambra State. I will decongest prisons there. I will go to other states and do the same thing. I will go to Enugu State. I will go to Ebonyi State and I will go to Abuja. I will go to all parts of the world and decongest.”
On how he hopes to engender cordial relationship and peaceful co-existence among his subjects, ‘Eze Gburugburu’ said, “I have started doing that. Recently, two Igbo persons were quarrelling in court. One Igbo man landed the other Igbo man in prison. I was the one who compelled them to withdraw the matter. After they withdrew the matter, I brought them to my palace and settled the matter for them.
“I have done something like that for over 100 people in Lagos. So, I am used to uniting all Igbo and letting them know that they are one. It is not only about Igbo people. I also do it with other tribes. I don’t do my things based on tribalism. None of the people I got released from prison is Igbo. Some of them are Yoruba, Hausa and Calabar.”
‘Eze’ Prosper Chukwuka, reacting to a recent alarm that terrorists are planning to infiltrate the South West, urged the governors to be on their toes and not take the alarm lightly.
He said, “A governor should not tell me that he doesn’t know what to do to protect a particular state. It’s real. But the only thing is that some of them don’t want to be stressed. They don’t want to be specific on what they are doing.
“In Anambra State, our governor has started working hard. He has started arresting some native daughters that give information to all those kidnappers in Anambra. He is doing a great work now in Anambra State. So, I believe that other governors will follow in his steps.”
Source: Tribune
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